Blood Supplies Hurt By Icy Weather, Cancellations

Icy roads have forced many cancellations and delays and some of those cancellations can have dire consequences. The Texas Blood Institute has declared a 'blood emergency' due to a shortage of donations. Faced with less than a one-day supply of blood, Texas Blood Institute (TXBI) has declared a blood emergency for the region. Declines in blood donation due to difficult travel have diminished the supply. Many school and business blood drives have been cancelled Thursday through Sunday.

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“The need for donation is constant, since blood has a limited time for use,” John Armitage, M.D., president and CEO, said. “With a typical supply of three to five days, it only takes a storm like this to put us into an emergency status.”

“Presently, there are adequate supplies of blood to meet the needs of patients now at the hospitals we serve, but our projections for need and expected donors within the next few days cause great concern,” said Armitage. TXBI is the sole supplier of blood to virtually every hospital and trauma center in North Texas.

Donations take about an hour and can be made every 56 days. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 1-877-340-8777, or visit www.tbi.org to see a list of blood drives next week.